


A Key

by FleetStreetFatality



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Eren doesn't know he's gay, First Love, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, There is no smut in this, birthday fic, but it's really cute, eren is so dense, erwin imparts some much needed wisdom on his ass, erwin is advise daddy, he just wants to turn eighteen, im sorry guys, levi gives him the cutest present, levi is a poor tortured soul, levi is precious, super fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-23
Updated: 2016-05-23
Packaged: 2018-06-10 06:21:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6943354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FleetStreetFatality/pseuds/FleetStreetFatality
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It took a moment for what he had done to register, but once it did, he ran, leaving behind everything he’d ever known.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Key

**Author's Note:**

> So I didn't intend for this to be a fanfic. My girlfriend needed a story for creative writing so I wrote this one for her. I used levi and eren because I hate creating new characters. It was supposed to be two pages haha it's nine. Oops. Anyway,, I hope you enjoy! Leave a comment and let me know how you liked it? Sweet comments make my day!

Eren lept down the stairs taking them two and three at a time in his haste. He couldn’t wait. He’d been waiting for this day his whole life! He was _finally_ turning eighteen! He’d spent all day checking himself in the mirror and trying different outfits. He finally landed on an earthy green shirt that brought out his vibrant green eyes and a pair of beige almost white pants. His hair was a wild mess as always, brown hair sticking up at odd angles and hanging over his eyes. He’d been bouncing on his heels since the early morning hours. He’d had trouble sleeping he was so excited.  

Now that the moment was finally here, he couldn’t help bounding down the stairs on gangly legs despite the  warnings his mother shouted after him. He almost toppled over on the last step having miscounted on his way down but he caught himself easily on the banister. His mother gave him a knowing look as his eyes met hers from her spot in the kitchen. He gave her a bright smile as he came to stand before her. He had to look down now that he towered over her by a good six inches. His mother was someone he’d taken for granted too much as a child but had grown to value much more in adolescence. She had kind brown eyes and long brown hair. She made the best pancakes he’d ever eaten and sang to him when he was sick.

Today however, she was making him one of her famous birthday cakes. She made them every year for every kid on the whole street. All his friends would beg her for one on their birthdays. She was happy to bake each one but she always made his a little extra special.

“Eren, how many times have I told you not to run down the stairs? You know I’m not always going to be around to look out for you.”

Eren rolled his eyes mumbling to himself as he kissed her on the cheek.

“Yeah, yeah, I know…”

His friends had already gathered themselves in the living room and were anxiously awaiting him. They’d piled all the presents onto the coffee table and had helped his mom set up a table earlier with drinks and snacks, plates, cups, forks, knives, and what-not. All his friends had come over to wish him a happy birthday and sit around eating chips and playing video games. Everyone he’d wanted had come to see him, even his friend Erwin, who’d graduated high school by the time he’d made it to seventh grade.

His wide eyes scanned the room hoping to catch sight of a certain short haired boy with an even shorter temper. He couldn’t help the nagging disappointment he felt when he realized he wasn’t there, not that he’d really expected him to come to start with. He tried to shove it to the back of his mind and spent the day immersed in his friends and trying to best them at mario cart. By the time the doorbell rang he’d almost completely forgotten about it. He sprang up, hopping over the couch to answer it. He opened the door to find a single box wrapped in light blue paper and topped with delicate pink ribbon on top. He picked it up and turned it around in his hands til he found the tag.

It simply read “Love Levi” in a beautiful swirling blacked script. Eren’s heart skipped a beat and he had to read it three time just to make sure he wasn’t seeing things,  He didn’t hear his mother talking to him until she was right behind him and even then he didn’t register what she said. His mind was too busy coming up with all the reasons Levi had left the present there and then shooting them down because they sounded ridiculous and childish and not at all like the stoic grumpy man he knew Levi to be.

He walked back into the living room in a daze. All his friends were staring at him but he couldn’t tear his eyes off the present. He walked into the dining room, apologizing to his friends but he needed to be alone for a moment suddenly emotional. He sat the box on the table and collapsed into a chair staring at it like it was going to disappear. At the the sound of the door opening, he looked up to find Erwin poking his head in. The look on Eren’s face had him letting himself in and sitting down. He took it upon himself to inspect the present before giving it back to Eren who was still having trouble processing that it existed. He looked at Erwin hoping he might provide some kind of explanation.

“You’ve known him much longer than i have…” he started. He wasn’t sure how to ask what he needed to. Erwin seemed to know though. He always did. He was that friend that was always there when you needed someone to talk to but couldn't actually talk. He’d always been keenly observant and somehow he just always knew. “Why wouldn’t he just give it to me himself?” he finished, finally getting his thoughts together.

Erwin thought for a moment about how to explain it in terms Eren would actually understand without pissing Levi off.

“Levi is complicated and I’m not sure anyone, even he, knows everything about him and why he does things but,” he gave a heavy sigh. “Being...around you hurts him."

Eren felt like he’d been slapped. He felt anger boiling his blood.

“Well, if being around me is so painful why didn’t he just say so?”

Erwin held his hands up in defense. “Now don’t take that the wrong way, Eren. Let me explain before you start butting heads with me, alright? This is part of the reason why Levi hasn’t told you this himself. Just listen, okay?”

He waited for Eren to nod before he continued.

“Levi likes being around you but being around you just reminds him of how different he is and when he looks at you all he sees is something he can’t have. Being caught in a situation like that is painful. He doesn’t want to cut you out of his life but he doesn’t know how he can keep you in it. He’s trying his best to sort through his feelings without bothering you with them. He doesn’t want things to be weird between you. The last thing he wants is for you to feel awkward or uncomfortable around him. Does that make sense Eren?”

He was trying. He really was. But it just wasn’t clicking in his brain for him. He shook his head letting his shoulders slump.

“Do you remember when your dad died?”

He nodded. How could he forget? His mother cried for months. It was the hardest time of his life. He remembered going to school and getting to see Levi at lunch was the only thing he looked forward to. It had been his senior year so Levi was very busy and rarely did anything outside of school.

“Did you notice the way your mom looked at you after that? The way she still looks at you sometimes? Like she’s looking at a memory and not her son? The way her eyes get glassy and she almost looks happy until her eyes focus and she realizes what she’s looking at is you?

That stung. He _had_ noticed. He tried his hardest not to but, as dense as he was, even he could see it on her face sometimes.

“You’re mom loves you more than anything in the world but seeing you sometimes still hurts.” Erwin paused to let that sink in for Eren.

“You’re saying I look like Levi’s dad?” Now Eren was really confused… He’d never seen Levi’s dad but he certainly didn’t look anything like Levi.

“No.” Erwin was the patron saint of patience. “I’m saying, Levi looks at you and feels the same kind of pain because he cares for you in a way he knows you never will. The same way your mom knows Grisha is never coming back.”

“Well… I care about him too and if he’s hurting I wanna help.”

“It’s not that simple. You can’t help.”

“Why not?”

“Because you don’t even understand the way he cares about you, much less are capable of returning it. Levi’s afraid you never will. Look just-” He was trying really hard not to spell it out for Eren but the kid really was dense. “Why don’t you open the present he got for you? Hm?”

Eren looked down and gingerly tugged at the pink satiny string and the bow slowly slipped off. He ripped at the paper and before him sat a plain white box. He lifted the top off and felt a sudden sharp pang in his heartstrings. His mind flashed back to the one night he and his friends had gone to Erwin's for his twenty-first birthday. Everyone else had passed out or headed off to sleep but Levi and Eren were still up talking about everything and nothing all at once. Eren had told him about the time his dad had asked his mom out on their first date. When she’d said yes, he’d given her a plain white box and inside it was a key. He’d told her it was the key to his heart and if she kept it around her neck, their hearts could always be one. He didn’t know why he’d told Levi all of this but he was too drunk to really think about it. He just thought it was so cute and he’d really love to do that with someone one day, if he ever met someone that was. So far, he hadn’t been on a single date in his life. They’d talked about loneliness after that and when they woke up the next morning with their backs against the couch and Eren’s head on Levi’s shoulder they didn’t talk about it. Eren hadn’t thought any more of it. He certainly hadn’t expected Levi to remember it all this time.

He reached in and hooked the leather string around his finger lifting it up. The key was gold and thin. It didn’t look like a house key. It was more old fashioned like you see in movies with knights and castles. It hung from a string of soft worn brown leather and the handle of the key was shaped like a diamond. It sparkled in the lighting of the dining room. Suddenly everything clicked into place for Eren and he met Erwin’s eyes with electric green.

Levi _loved_ him.

His heart was beating so hard he could feel it hammering in his toes.

Suddenly he understood exactly what Erwin meant. He understood why Levi always looked so grumpy and uncomfortable the few times he had shown up to something Eren had invited him to. Why every time Eren smiled at him Levi looked like a kicked puppy.

He understood.

He felt so stupid.

He realized every time he had been close to Levi or invited him somewhere was like dangling sugar in front of a diabetic. He realized now why Levi often didn’t show up. He’d never even considered dating another guy before. He didn’t even have to now. He slipped the necklace over his head and it took a moment for what he had done to register, but once it did, he ran, leaving behind everything he’d ever known about life and love. Before he’d even realized it, he was running through the pouring rain hoping Levi hadn’t gotten too far while he’d figured everything out. The rain was coming down in thick sheets and within seconds he was soaked clean to the bone. He ran down the sidewalk desperately searching for a dark head of black hair. He didn’t see anyone at all though. After all, _who in their right mind would be out walking round in_ this _?_ _Levi. Levi always loved the rain. The way it washed everything clean._

Suddenly he rounded the corner and saw a black undercut heading up the street adjacent to his. His heart was pounding so hard he couldn’t even hear the rain. He didn’t even know he was shouting Levi’s name. He didn’t think, he just ran as hard as he could and when he finally caught up to him Levi barely had time to turn around.

Levi had his hands shoved in his pockets and was lost in his own thoughts. He didn’t mind the rain. It helped him think. He was still debating whether or not to go back and get the present from Eren. Part of him wanted to run back and get it before the brat had a chance to open it. It was so stupid. He had no idea why he’d let himself do something like that. Despite Erwin’s insistence that it was a great idea, Levi was still on the fence about that. He faintly heard his name being shouted. Then it was much closer and then it was right behind him. He barely turned around in time to catch a glimpse of green before a body hit his like a freight train. It knocked the wind out of him and his feet out from under him.

His arms reached up to grab at anything within range to keep him upright. As warm arms circled his waist, he suddenly found himself looking up into fiery burning emerald eyes. He was just about to bark out a biting comment but the stupid brat didn’t even let him start before chapped lips were crashing into his. The arms around him were suddenly crushing him into a warmer body. Levi couldn’t breath, like, his ribs actually didn’t have enough room to expand- not that he’d be able to breath regardless given the circumstances. He realized belatedly that his arms had wrapped themselves around Eren’s neck and he threaded them through the soft brown hair at the base of his head as he pressed his lips back.

The kiss was nothing more than a hard press of lips but it felt like eternity and when Eren pulled away he was breathless and panting and not entirely from the run. Being that close to Levi suddenly was taking his breath away. He looked so nice even with his hair plastered to his forehead and his eyes uneasily scanning his. Eren leaned down to rest his head against Levi’s.

“I’m so sorry it took me so long.” He said.

“You’re wearing it,” Levi noticed aloud. He reached a hand up to run his fingers over the cool metal. Levi looked so unsure and Eren had honestly never seen him like that. He was always confident and certain of himself and others. He looked so cute stunned speechless like that. Eren smiled, resting his hand over Levi’s on his chest. He looked down into stormy grey eyes so full of emotion they almost resembled a storm rolling in off the sea. “Yes.” Eren said but he wasn’t talking about what Levi had said, but rather what he hadn’t. “I’ll keep your heart safe. Thanks for waiting for me,” Eren could feel the sarcastic remark coming. He could see it in the way the storm clouds in his eyes calmed.

“Tch-”

Eren refused to allow Levi to ruin this moment with a rude comment so he pressed his lips down, much more tenderly this time, and tipped the shorter man’s chin up with his fingers. He had no idea how long they stood there kissing in the rain but when they finally looked around it had stopped raining entirely.

  


**Author's Note:**

> For my brat. Thanks for trusting me with your key, kid.


End file.
